Engaging Successfully with Parents

Success with Parents Course

Crucial Conversations with Parents when there is conflict at school


School staff and management often have challenging conversations with parents. We aim to make those conversations more productive and less stressful. Whether providing guidance on behavior management in the home, addressing safeguarding issues that have come to light, or making a last-ditch effort to help a child settle into school and engage with learning, there are moments where experience and skills matter.

This course has been developed in collaboration with school staff to explore practical methods of initiating sensitive conversations, handling verbal intimidation or heightened tension, laying the groundwork for persuasive discussions, and ensuring that parents feel heard, even in the most difficult of circumstances.


Learning Outcomes for Success with Parents

We teach your staff how to “Treat People with Dignity by Showing them Respect” and how to “Generate Voluntary Collaboration, Cooperation or Compliance” when they deal with your parents, each other and the children.


On our Engaging Successfully with Parents course we work with your staff on:

  • Communication Values: what values shall we uphold and protect as we have these difficult conversations?
  • Emotional Equilibrium: how to get ready for the interaction and stay responsive (not reactive) during difficult moments
  • Initial Contact: how to open a conversation in a way which is non-escalatory
  • When things turn sour: how to stay on-track and not get caught up in a tangle of insinuation, blaming or naming
  • Their turn: how to ensure that the parent(s) feel that you are listening and taking their point of view into consideration
  • Your turn: how to interrupt in the most positive way possible and make progress
  • Persuasion: how to use a step-by-step process of gaining their voluntary collaboration, cooperation or compliance
  • When Words Aren't Working: for those situations when you may need to prioritise safety over resolution


10 Concepts for Conflict Success in Dealing With Parents:

Your staff will explore and practice the following concepts:

  • Be Alert & Decisive / Respond, Don’t React – How to maintain awareness, control distance and positioning to keep everyone safe
  • Five Approaches – How to show people respect in order to maintain their dignity and gain their cooperation
  • Showtime Mindset – How to develop and maintain your professional detachment in conflict situations
  • Universal Greeting – How to present the best possible initial contact, fostering non-escalation reducing the need for de-escalation.
  • Beyond Active Listening – How to see through eyes of the other person in order to find out how to manage them
  • Redirection – How to manage questions, anger, and abusive language
  • Persuasion Sequence – How to generate voluntary compliance, cooperation, and compliance
  • When Words Alone Fail – When and how to take appropriate action when words alone fail
  • Bystander Mobilization – How to create a social contract that is incompatible with violence
  • Review & Report – How to debrief incidents to improve future performance and explain your response


Training for Your Team at Your School

This "Success with Parents" course on conflict management is intended for front-line staff who interact with parents and carers of your pupils. During meetings with your team, parents and carers may become frustrated, upset or aggressive. The course focuses on verbal and non-verbal communication techniques to effectively manage and de-escalate aggression and distress.

When: Half-Day AM or PM or Full-Day sessions on a date scheduled for your convenience

Who:  up to 16 staff are led by Gerard O’Dea, “Vistelar Conflict Management” European Adviser

What Roles? Any public-facing role or contact-professional within your organisation who has responsibility for interacting with, influence, persuading or de-escalating the parents or carers of your pupils will benefit from training to help them to create a safe, effective and secure environment in your workplace.

Where:  At a venue of your choice, or at your school.

How:  Our trainers deliver this Conflict Success Dealing With Parents course using a mix of lecture/presentation, Q&A, physical practice and scenario rehearsal using an “Emotionally Safe, Performance-driven Training Environment”



Why Choose this Course?

✓ Matched to your Conflict and Communication Skills needs

✓ Led by Professional Conflict Communication Skills Trainers

✓ Values Dignity and Respect as part of a Behaviour Support approach

✓ Safeguards Client rights in conflict situations

✓ Offers Staff Practical Options using Templates for Conflict Communications

✓ Value for Your Conflict Management Investment



Other similar courses:

https://www.positivehandling.co.uk/behaviour-management/

https://www.positivehandling.co.uk/send-training-special-educational-needs-disability/

http://www.dynamis.training/conflict-management/

"The Dynamis Engaging Successfully with Parents course delivered exactly what we asked for - practical strategies we can use with confidence. I thought it was a very well organised and structured session that met the needs well of a wide range of people at different stages in their careers. Thank you."